No plans to kill 2nd giraffe named Marius, zoo says

The decision by Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark to kill one of its giraffes last weekend sparked anguish. The news four days later that a second Danish zoo might follow suit prompted howls of outrage.

But Jyllands Park Zoo has now said that those fears are groundless. In a statement on its official Facebook page, under the heading “Problem solved,” it said the giraffe’s future was assured.

Just days after the Copenhagen Zoo killed a male giraffe named Marius to avoid inbreeding, another zoo said it might follow suit.

Jyllands Park Zoo said Thursday it may also have to “euthanize” one of its male giraffes — coincidentally, also named Marius — if a female is brought in to breed.

Zoologist Jesper Mohring-Jensen told CNN that Jyllands Park Zoo joined the same breeding program as the Copenhagen Zoo last year, which means it can’t have too many giraffes with the same genetic makeup.

The zoo currently has two male giraffes, he said.

An online petition to save a healthy young giraffe from death has failed, despite thousands of signatures from animal lovers.

Copenhagen Zoo said it euthanized the male, named Marius, Sunday because of a duty to avoid inbreeding.

After an autopsy, “Marius” was dismembered in front of a zoo audience that included children, and fed to the zoo’s lions.

DENMARK – A zoo in Denmark is set to put down a healthy, young giraffe because of European rules to avoid in-breeding.

According to the zoo, attempts to find the 18-month-old giraffe a new home have not been successful.

The Copenhagen Zoo said it needs to kill the giraffe before it becomes an adult and attempts to mate.

Animal rights campaigners in Denmark are trying to save the young giraffe.

They say it would be barbaric to kill it.

The zoo insists the giraffe population must be kept “genetically sound”.